lighting of the lanterns

i could totally do without the masquerade of fireworks here this time of year. it is loud and wild and long. over 2 weeks of non-stop banging after 9 p.m. BUT at the end of it all is the lantern festival and i love doing the lanterns. never did it as a kid, but it sparks this child-like nostalgia in me. kev bought 2 lanterns this year for us to light. they are like mini hot air balloons. you light a little kerosene lamp at the bottom, then wait for the lantern to fill with hot air, let it go and watch it float up into the sky until you can't see it anymore.

our first lantern went up with such grace.

our 2nd lantern...not so graceful. the wind carried it into a tree and then up up under the 7th story awning of the apartments next door. would have gotten a picture, but i was too busy standing there, biting my nails and imagining the building bursting into flames. kev was busy rushing around trying to figure out how to get help. all the bystanders just stood there with us....staring at the flaming lantern in the awning.

weston thought the whole thing was quite exciting. never a dull moment. seriously.

thankfully, after 15 minutes or so, it lost momentum and floated down to the ground leaving the building (and the awning) unscathed. next year we'll choose a really open space!